GB2116245A

GB2116245A - Security lock for the lid of a top-loading washing machine

Info

Publication number: GB2116245A
Application number: GB08215498A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ignacio-Javier Erce Ochoa
Original assignee: MAYC SA
Current assignee: MAYC SA
Priority date: 1982-03-06
Filing date: 1982-05-27
Publication date: 1983-09-21
Also published as: ES263731Y; FR2530686B1; GB2116245B; ES263731U; FR2530686A1; IT8253304V0

Abstract

A security lock for the lid of a top- loading washing machine of the kind in which the lid is formed in two overlapping parts (1, 2) hinged for movement about parallel axes and spring-urged towards open position, includes a U-shaped hook (4) one arm of which is secured to the lower part (2) of the lid adjacent its free end and the other arm of which is bent upward at its outer end and passed through an aperture (3) formed in the upper part (1) of the lid and surrounded by a collar having an inclined wall located close to the free edge of the upper part, and a lever (5) pivotally mounted on the upper part (1) of the lid with one end extending into the aperture (3) and acted upon by a spring which tends to raise its other end. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Security lock for the drum of a top-loading washing machine The present invention relates to a security lock applicable to the drum of a clothes-washing machine of the type usually referred to -as a top loader, in which the drum has a two-part lid.

For satisfactory operation, this type of lid requires to be fitted with a lock having safety devices which are adequate to ensure correct closure even when, due to accidental causes, the normal working conditions no longer prevail. As examples of accidental causes which may result in the opening of the lid, may be mentioned circumstances whereby, when the drum, filled with clothes, is closed, some part of a garment remains gripped between the two parts of the lid so that the weight of the clothes, greatly increased by being wet, pulls on the edge of the bottom part with a force which is impossible to foresee but which may be sufficient to release the lock.

Furthermore, the impact of the clothes or the water, during the washing process, on one or other of the lid parts may produce the same effect.

In order to resolve these problems, complicated systems have been employed, which are, more often than not, relatively inefficient, always expensive and rarely accurate, this lack of accuracy giving rise to initial faults in the system and subsequently resulting in considerable damage.

The invention sets out to resolve these problems and is applied to a drum having a twopart lid in which each of the parts are hinged at one end and urged outwardly by a spring. The lid is provided with a U-shaped hook having one of its arms bent outwardly at one end and a straight portion of its other arm centered in and secured, as by rivets, to a flat recessed portion of the lower part of the lid at its end opposite to that of the hinge.Adjacent its free end, the upper part of the lid has an aperture surrounded by an upstanding collar through which said hook passes from below when the lid is in the closed position, and a rocking abutment constituted by a lever, is mounted on a support fixed to the upper part by a rivet or the like and provided with a pivot element or shaft which is surrounded by a torsion spring, the arms of which maintain one end of the lever in engagement with the web portion of the U-shaped hook fixed to the lower part.

For a better understanding of the invention and solely by way of example, it will be described with reference to the accompanying drawing in which: Fig. 1 shows the two parts of the lid in the correct closure position maintained by the tendency to lift imposed thereon by the resilient elements acting on the hinges thereof; Fig. 2 shows the way in which the security lock behaves when the lower part of the lid is urged in the direction indicated by the arrow "A" by clothing which has become hooked over its edge; Fig. 3 shows the way in which the lock behaves when the upper part of the lid is urged in the direction of the arrow "B" when struck by water or for any other reason; Fig. 4 shows the first phase of the correct opening movement when the user is exerting simultaneous pressure on the two parts of the lid in the direction of the arrows "C" and "D"; and Fig. 5 shows the second phase of said "opening" movement which is also effective to prevent incorrect closure.

In the drawings is shown an upper lid part 1, a lower lid part 2, an aperture 3 surrounded by a raised collar in the part-1, an open hook 4 which is rigid with the part 2 and a rocking lever 5, the pivotal support for which is fixed to the part 1.

These elements all form the components of the security lock according to the invention. They cooperate with one another and with the spindles of the hinges of the two parts of the lid, taking into account the flexibility inherent in the material from which they are constructed in order to provide the following effects: Once the lid of the drum has been closed and occupies the position shown in Fig. 1, any clothing becoming caught up between the two parts of the lid will urge the lower part 2 in the direction of the arrow A, Fig. 2, and this will cause the upper edge of the collar surrounding the aperture 3 to bear against a flat portion of the upper arm of the hook 4, and slide along without losing contact with said flat portion, so that the adjacent end of the lever 5 abuts the base portion of the hook 4 making it impossible for the lid to be opened.When both the upper part 1 and the lower part 2 are urged outwardly, the situation is as shown in Fig. 1, with the raised collar surrounding the aperture 3 engaging the base portion of the hook 4 and preventing the lid from being opened.

On the other hand, when the upper part 1 is urged towards the interior of the drum, either due to the impact of water or for sòme other reason, in the direction of the arrow B in Fig. 3, the end of the lever 5 on said part 1 moves forward until it comes in contact with the base portion of the hook 4 which arrests said forward movement before the collar surrounding the aperture 3 leaves the flat portion of the upper arm of the hook 4, making it possible for the lid to be opened.

In order to open the lid, it is sufficient and necessary to press on the upper part of the lever 5 until the collar around the aperture 3 disengages from the flat portion of the hook 4 and then on the lower part 2 as indicated by the arrows C and D in Fig. 4. This action raises and renders inoperative the lever 5 and results in the hook 4 emerging from the aperture 3 to enable the spring action of the hinges to produce total opening of the lid.

Closure of the lid is achieved by reversing this procedure, acting first on the lower part and then on the upper part and gradually slackening the pressure on the latter so that the return force of the springs on the hinges, locates the lid in the position shown in Fig. 1.

The lock according to the invention also has the advantage of providing security against incorrect closure, since the outer end of the upper arm of the hook 4 is bent upwardly and engages the collar surrounding the aperture 3 in the upper part 1 in such a way that the force of the sprung hinges overcomes the friction between the collar around the aperture and the edge of the hook 4 or the bent portion thereof, as shown in Fig. 5.

Claims

1. A security lock applicable to the drum of a top-loading washing machine, of the type in which the lid is formed in two parts, an upper part and a lower part, articulated on spring hinges having parallel spindles, said parts having overlapping free edges of matching form, characterised in that, close to its free edge, the lower part is secured to the lower arm of a U-shaped hook, the upper arm of which is bent upwardly at its outer end and passed through an aperture surrounded by an upstanding collar having an inclined wall located close to the free edge of the upper part, said aperture likewise receiving the end of a lever supported on a member rigid with said upper part of the lid and having a spring tending to raise the end of the lever opposite to that which is received in said aperture.

2. A security lock according to Claim 1, characterised in that in the "closed" position, the elements of the lock are so operatively disposed that when clothing is caught between the two parts of the lid and the free edge of the lower part is urged towards the interior of the drum, the upper edge of the collar surrounding the aperture is pressed against a flat portion of the upper arm of the hook and is slidable along in contact with said flat portion until the adjacent end of the lever abuts the web portion of the hook and prevents the lid from being opened.

3. A security lock according to Claim 2, characterised in that in the position of closure, the lock is so operatively disposed that if the upper part of the lid is urged accidentally towards the interior of the drum the end of the lever received in said aperture moves forward until it comes in contact with the web portion of the hook, which arrests said forward movement before the collar surrounding the aperture leaves the flat portion of the upper arm of said hook, rendering opening of the lid possible, such opening requiring application of pressure to the lower part of the lid and to the end of the lever opposite that which enters the aperture.

4. A security lock according to Claim 1, 2 or 3, characterised in that incorrect closure of the lid is prevented by cooperation between the upwardly bent end of the upper arm of the hook and the inclined wall of the collar surrounding the aperture in the upper part which are so disposed relative to each other that the force exerted by the spring hinges overcomes the friction created when either the outer edge of the hook or its upwardly bent end comes into contact with the upper edge of said collar.

5. A security lock applicable to the drum of a top-loading washing machine, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to or as shown in the accompanying drawing.